Educating Vince
by Tia-Lewise
Summary: Yuffie takes it upon herself to teach Vincent the ways of the woman. Yuffie/Vincent, rated M for sexual scenes and lemon in last chapter.
1. Crowded

_Well, haven't I been gone since forever! Hi again, yep, I finally got back to writing. Since getting ePSXe and playing Final Fantasies VII-IX, I've been more inspired lately. So here you go._

_And yeah, I don't own FF. Duh._

* * *

The gunman walked a few paces behind Cloud and his companions, quietly thinking, watching the party. A lot could be gleaned from simple things, like watching the way they walk. Vincent liked the simple things. He liked quiet.

He did _not _like the teenager who broke off from the rest of the group, falling into step beside him and shooting him occasional glances. Her apparent curiosity was a little uncomfortable. To stop himself from rolling his eyes, Vincent instead looked around at their surroundings. They had come into the main hall of the Shinra Mansion; Vincent was surprised how quickly the house had fallen into disrepair since he had last seen the interior. Sometimes he forgot how long he had actually slumbered for.

And the girl, Yuffie, was determined to know just how long, and everything about him, despite proclaiming he was boring ten minutes before. As politely as he could, Vincent brushed her off, asking her to wait a while longer. This seemed to quieten her.

* * *

Sat around a fire in the depths of Mount Nibel, Vincent took the time to inspect his comrades in more detail. Cloud, with his Mako eyes, blonde hair, and quiet demeanour. Vincent had taken a slight liking to him. The two women, Aeris and Tifa, in pink and black-and-white respectively, chatting amiably in the way only women could. Vincent had been told Aeris was a Cetra; the very word sent shivers down his spine as he remembered the horrific experiments of the Jenova Project. Barret, hulking and dark-skinned, an intimidating gatling gun grafted into his right arm where his hand should have been. Yuffie, absent-mindedly juggling Materia and singing under her breath in what looked like a rare moment of contentment.

Those were the humans. The other two that accompanied them certainly were not. A foot tall, stuffed moogle sat against a rock, with a black and white robotic cat at its feet; Vincent had been surprised to hear it speak with a heavy accent. Finally, a flame-red quadruped curled up closer to the fire than the rest of the party, and he appeared to be asleep, letting out soft grunting snores. His name was Nanaki, but during his confinement by Shinra, he had been christened Red XIII. The party just called him Red, and he didn't seem to mind.

_I am to travel with an odd bunch, to say the least, _thought Vincent, brushing his hair out of his blood-red eyes. _However, I feel I will get answers this way. I have slept too long._


	2. The Deal

The light of the Gold Saucer hurt Vincent's eyes. It might have seemed fitting for his nature and appearance, but he was relieved when the party stopped off at the Horror Square for a rest. He knew Yuffie would be laughing as he moved to inspect the chess board in the hall of the hotel, where two ghosts seemed to be playing each other, but he no longer minded. He had been with the party for just over two weeks now (the travel through Mount Nibel had taken considerable time), and during this time, somehow, he and Yuffie had formed a slightly awkward, but amiable friendship. At the same time, they bickered relentlessly, to the amusement of the party, who often joked that they were an old married couple- to which Yuffie would blush furiously and Vincent would shrug.

The party retreated to their rooms for the night. The rooms were dark, slightly damp and had various suspicious-looking instruments on the shelves and strewn across the floor, but to Vincent, as long as it had a bed, a room was a room. He poked the lumpy mattress, wrinkling his nose distastefully. _Oh well, _he thought, lying down on it and closing his eyes, _compared to a coffin, this is luxury._

His sleep, as always, was troubled, full of disturbances and voices...

_Two figures stood opposite each other, exchanging fierce words. _

"_How could you?" the younger man protested. "This is...this is inhuman!"_

_The older man, hunched over, simply laughed at the Turk. "Our experiment could provide the foundation for an amazing scientific breakthrough! Who are you to stand in the way of our research?"_

"_You injected an unborn _baby, _Hojo!"_

"_Lucrecia agreed to it."_

"_And now she lies in terrible pain." The Turk clenched his fists. "My duty is to protect Lucrecia. If you threaten her welfare, I shall have to deal with you myself as is my responsibility."_

_Hojo blinked, putting a hand into the pocket of his lab coat. "Really? Maybe it is my responsibility to deal with _you..."

_He couldn't react fast enough to the gun Hojo pulled out; he tried to draw his own, but before his fingers even brushed the cold metal, a blinding pain blazed through his chest and he dropped to his knees, gasping for breath, blood pouring through his fingers..._

Vincent woke up, panting. His brow felt damp with sweat and he was shivering. Trying to control his breathing, the gunman brought himself into a sitting position, trying to forget the details of his nightmare.

But he couldn't. He never could. So he was relieved when a sharp knock sounded on his door, followed by a brisk chirp of, "Vince! Let me in, will ya? Wake up!"

"...It's unlocked, Yuffie."

The ninja swanned in happily, as always. Her hair was a little messier than usual, giving Vincent the impression she had been charging round the hotel for some time. Her cheery face dropped when she saw the state Vincent was in. "Bad dreams again?" she asked.

Vincent nodded. "They happen every night." Yuffie made a sympathetic noise quite unlike her usual self, and she moved closer, perching herself on the edge of the bed and crossing her long legs. She cocked her head to the side, reaching out a hand, not surprised when Vincent shied away from her touch. It was his usual response, as he hated people being close to him.

So she sat with him for a few minutes, in silence, waiting for him to calm. She knew he liked silence.

Yuffie studied Vincent carefully. The aura of mystery that surrounded him, coupled with his handsome features and long black hair...sometimes she had to stop herself from staring at him. _Well, _she thought,_ he's handsome in a unique way, and that hair _definitely_ needs a good brushing, but those aside, he's not bad._

"Hey."

Vincent looked up. "Hm?"

"I know what might cheer you up." She got to her feet, brushing herself down. Vincent blinked at her, curious. "Cloud and Aeris have gone off for a date or something. Why don't you come with me and we can explore the place ourselves?"

Vincent just blinked at her again. Huffing, Yuffie placed her hands on her slender hips. "Awww, come on! I want to have _fun! _Please, Vince?"

_How can I say no to her...? She has helped me a lot these past few weeks... _Sighing, Vincent rose from the bed, rubbing his eyes. "Very well. I suppose I should do, to thank you."

"Thank me?"

"Yes. I could not have settled in amongst the party without you, I feel."

Yuffie's eyes sparkled with happiness, and she threw her arms around Vincent, hugging him tightly. The gunman stiffened, eyes widened. "Y-Yuffie..."

"Hug me back," she said in a muffled voice. "You might feel better."

_The things she comes out with, I swear to...ugh. _Knowing she would never let go if he didn't, Vincent hesitantly raised his arms, giving the ninja a loose hug. She giggled and pulled away. "Thanks! Now come on, let's go!" Grabbing his hand, she pulled him out of the hotel room excitedly.

* * *

He must have slept a good few hours; the Gold Saucer was a good deal quieter than it had been when they arrived. Yuffie wanted to go bet on the chocobos first, and put a fair amount of gil on a blue chocobo that she immediately fell in love with, squealing happily as she watched it run on the big screen. Vincent watched silently from a few feet away. Although he felt slightly awkward, he was glad to see her enjoying herself.

Yuffie's stubborn determination reminded him of Lucrecia. The scientist had forever fussed around everything; her work, her colleagues, and even Vincent, her bodyguard of sorts. She persisted at everything, whether it be her research or simply asking Vincent to accompany her somewhere. Often Vincent would protest, but eventually he would give in and allow himself to be dragged to some location to spend time with Lucrecia.

_Of course, I was much happier then, _he thought. _Then she was torn away from me, and I lost everything..._

"You okay, Vince?"

Vincent jerked himself out of his reverie. Yuffie stood in front of him, smiling. "Oh...I'm fine," he said, putting a smile on his face. "Did you win?"

She shook her head. "No, I lost all 300 gil!" She pouted. "But I can go have more fun at the Wonder Square! Come on!"

They headed off to the Wonder Square, where Yuffie managed to convince Vincent to try the arm wrestling game. With his almost superhuman strength, he won multiple times, Yuffie squealing each time he did..

Then the basketball game. Yuffie couldn't shoot the ball through the loop, and after three failed attempts, Vincent helped out. Standing behind her, he put his hands over hers and raised the ball to the right height. "Let go," he murmured, and she did, letting him shoot it for her. The ball went straight through the hoop...

Then the fortune teller. Yuffie's eyes grew wide as she read the piece of paper that said, _"The one you care for shall guide you through your pain..."_

"You've been a lot of fun tonight, Vince," Yuffie smiled. She and Vincent walked alongside each other towards the gondola, Vincent not even minding when Yuffie slipped her hand through his arm, taking hold of it gently. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I'm glad you have enjoyed yourself."

"Has it all taken your mind off things?"

"...Yes, actually. It has..."

Yuffie smiled affectionately. "I've had a great time...so let's finish off in style!" Paying the attendant, she hopped into the gondola, gesturing for Vincent to follow. Frowning, he followed suit.

The gondola took its occupants sweeping around the expanse of the Gold Saucer, showing off its wondrous sights. Yuffie stood with her hands pressed against the glass, squealing as fireworks went off in the dusky sky. Vincent watched her with a small smile curving his thin lips.

_She is beautiful when she smiles...it seems a calm side exists beneath her exterior._

Yuffie turned her head sideways and caught Vincent watching her. "You alright?" she asked. He nodded slowly, and, still smiling, the ninja sat down beside him. "You don't have to be so uptight all the time, you know," she said quietly. "You've been accepted."

"It's not that," he replied. "I have many things that haunt me."

"Well, you know I'm here if you want to talk to me about them. Do you trust me?"

"...Yes, I do."

"Good." Yuffie gave Vincent a peck on the cheek. "That's for being so nice this evening." Drawing back, she saw the gunman's face had reddened somewhat. "Hey, what's up?"

"N-Nothing, Yuffie..." Vincent touched his cheek. "It is a...gracious compliment from one so...attractive as yourself..."

Yuffie's eyes widened. "Huh?"

"Ah, nothing..."

"You're nervous, aren't you?" she laughed. "Loosen up! What's the matter? Oh, I bet I know! You have no experience with girls!" Vincent, watching the sights intently, made a small noise that Yuffie took for a yes. "How far have you ever gone?"

Vincent was silent awhile. He had not known the ninja terribly long, but he felt he could open up to her as he could not with the rest of the party; he felt they would not understand. But Yuffie was young, eager, and she could (at times!) listen as well as she could talk the hind legs off a donkey; very well.

He sighed. "I have no experience with the opposite sex whatsoever. I have never even kissed a woman. I wished to uphold my family honour as a teenager and a young man, so I restrained myself."

"Wow..." Yuffie played with her hair, thinking. "Okay, how about this? I'll teach you." Vincent spluttered in surprise, but Yuffie did not relent. "We'll keep it between me and you; we both have fun, and you learn. How's that?"

"Y-Yuffie...you have no idea what you ask..."

"I do. Believe me I do!" The ninja grasped Vincent's hands. "Look at me, Vince." He did so, albeit a little nervously. "Now tell me- and I want you to be honest- what is going through your mind right now." She gripped his hands a little tighter. "Honestly," she repeated.

Vincent found himself searching his feelings. _I must admit, I have been paying Yuffie much more attention than Tifa and Aeris. What draws me to her...hmmm. Ah. I think I know. Now to say it without sounding like an idiot._

"Your eyes...are captivating..." he murmured.

"Anything else?"

_I can't believe I'm saying this. _"Your skin looks soft, as do your lips...for these past few minutes I have longed to kiss them..."

"Then do. I'll guide you."

Vincent could not believe that Yuffie was so willing. The young ninja slid off the glove covering Vincent's right hand, putting the leather aside, before raising his hand to her cheek. The gunman almost sighed at the feel of her white, babysoft skin under his calloused fingers. The touch made Yuffie's eyes flutter shut, tongue darting out to moisten her lips. "Now," she whispered.

_She will not give up unless I do. _Vincent dipped his head a little, hesitating for a moment, gazing at Yuffie's lips before gently pressing his own to them. They were warm and soft, and vibrated slightly with the quiet moan of satisfaction Yuffie made. Her arms wound round his neck, tugging him closer, her tongue slipping between his lips, making its way into Vincent's mouth. Catching on somewhat, he brushed his own tongue against hers, and shuddered at the pleasurable sensation that shot up his spine. Never had he imagined kissing would feel so good.

Eventually, his nerves got the better of him, and he pulled away shyly, wiping his wet lips. Yuffie did likewise, blushing but smiling. "Not bad for a first try," she said.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Vincent muttered sarcastically. The ninja just laughed. Vincent went back to looking out of the window; they were now going past a large golden statue of the owner of the Gold Saucer, Dio.

Suddenly, there was a teenager-shaped weight on his lap. Yuffie had jumped into it when Vincent stretched. "Yuffie..." he sighed in exasperation, shaking his head. She just smiled at him, nestling her head in his chest and curling her legs in. Blinking at her, the gunman was utterly bemused.

After a few moments Yuffie said, "This is the part where you put your arms round me and hold me close."

"I..." Vincent sighed again, but put an arm round her shoulders nevertheless. "You're a real handful," he told her, a chuckle evident in his tone.

"Yeah, I know," she grinned. "So, do we have a deal?"

"Hm?"

"I teach you about girls, and in return, um..." Yuffie thought for a moment. "How about you give me some Materia?"

Vincent couldn't help laughing a little. "I knew it would come to that. Well, you won't ever give in if I refuse, so I suppose I shall have to agree with you."

"Sounds good." Looking up at Vincent, Yuffie gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "We're gonna have some fun with this! Wait till I tell-"

"You will not tell _anyone!"_

"Whoops, I forgot!"


	3. Restraint

The Sleeping Forest seemed to take forever to navigate. Without Aeris' healing powers, the party struggled somewhat with the onslaught of enemies. The last Cetra had run off through the Forest, towards the Forgotten Capital, the city of the Ancients. That had been days ago. They had no idea where in the city she would be now.

But the party had to make camp, for they were tired and it was late. Tifa made a fire, and Cid- the foulmouthed but big-hearted pilot who had accompanied them from Rocket Town- set about erecting tents. Cloud disappeared into the first one put up, presumably so as not to show his pain and turmoil to his companions. Everyone knew how he felt for Aeris, but tried not to let on.

Yuffie, on the other hand, ran around like a headless chicken, panicking. She and Aeris had grown close during their time together, seeing the flower girl as an auntie or older sister of sorts. Now she was gone, the ninja felt she had nobody to confide in...except Vincent, of course. The man in question was erecting his own tent a small way away from the rest of the party, and had been keeping a careful eye on his sort-of lover, if she could even be called that. It had been three weeks since their kiss on the gondola. Since then, that was all they had stuck to, sneaking quick kisses when the party weren't looking, trying hard to hide their unusual friendship from them.

"Yuffie," Vincent called out softly to the ninja. She had been attempting to climb a tree for something to do, but dropped down to look over at the gunman. "Come over here," he said, giving her a small, rare smile. She did so, not speaking, for fear of bursting into sudden tears as she had been doing recently. Vincent cast a quick look at the party, then took Yuffie's hand. "Are you alright?" She nodded silently. "No you're not," Vincent sighed. He gestured to his now completed tent. "Come in here with me, and calm down a little. Can't have you annoying the rest of the party."

"Oh, thanks," she muttered, following Vincent into the tent. He was silent for a few minutes as he arranged a sleeping bag into something more comfortable, then settled down cross-legged on it. Yuffie crawled over, and lay her head in his lap.

"You seem calmer already," Vincent murmured, stroking Yuffie's hair gently.

"I guess so," she replied. "It's just...Aeris is so fragile. She won't survive out there on her own..."

"I'm sure she's doing just fine. She is more powerful than she looks."

"Hm." Yuffie nuzzled Vincent, glad of his constant warmth despite the icy appearance of his skin. Vincent couldn't help smiling as he continued stroking her silky black hair. He had grown fond of her over the weeks, though he was aware and accepting of the fact that their relationship was strictly 'educational.'

After some time, Yuffie sat up, rubbing her neck and wincing. "Damn," she hissed.

"You are in pain?"

"A little. Lying on you like that gets uncomfortable eventually."

_I take it this is another 'task,' _Vincent thought. "Do I...have to do anything?"

Yuffie looked at him in amusement. "When a girl says something like that, it generally means, "Please take care of it for me." So, yes please!"

"I, um...well, I suppose I should..." Vincent uncrossed his legs and brought Yuffie between them, her back to his chest. The gloved fingers of his right hand rubbed the back of the ninja's neck in a firm massage, making her sigh happily. "Mmm...just there..." she whispered. Vincent's eyes widened at her tone, but he continued to rub, moving briefly to massage either side of her neck before moving to the back again.

He had to admit, her heavy breathing was starting to kindle almost long-lost feelings within him. Letting his hand drop, he leaned in close, drawing Yuffie backwards, and placed a soft kiss where her neck and shoulder met.

Yuffie shuddered, uttering a surprised gasp. "V-Vince-?"

"I...I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. Carry on." Yuffie arched a little, allowing the gunman more access to the warm, inviting flesh that he proceeded to kiss, lick and nibble at. The motions just seemed to come naturally to him, as if he knew what he was doing the whole time, and Yuffie's breathing was heavier than ever, particularly when he chose to bite gently. However, he was mindful of leaving any marks, lest the party see and become suspicious. He gave one last kiss, then drew back. "I think I may have lost a little control there," he admitted, giving his head a bashful scratch.

Yuffie spun round to face him, getting up onto her knees. "No problem," she said with a cheeky grin. She shoved Vincent onto his back playfully, then clambered atop him.

"Yuffie-!" Vincent gasped out. "What are you- mmph!" His words were cut off by a slightly rough, but passionate kiss, which he returned for a few moments before pulling away to gaze questioningly at her.

"It was our deal," she laughed. "You learn, but we have fun too. I want to have _fun!"_

"You have to put me on my back to have fun with me?"

"I'll do anything you want," she winked. Vincent blinked at her a few times, missing her suggestive tone. She sighed. "Just kiss me, Vince."

"Now that I can do." Vincent drew Yuffie back down, one hand in her hair as they kissed, gentler than before. Yuffie pressed herself closer to Vincent's body, one hand on his shoulder, the other cradling his cheek. However, she jumped back after a few moments. "V-Vincent, um..." she stammered.

"Yes?" he asked, running his hands up and down her arms.

"What's that...sticking in my leg?"

Vincent's eyes grew wide, and he hurriedly pushed Yuffie off him. "Oh...I...Yuffie, I'm..." he whispered, flustered.

She just laughed softly, though her cheeks were a little pink. "Well, I suppose it means we can take the lessons a little further now."

"Wh-Wha-"

"In due time, Vince. In due time." Sticking her tongue out at him, she slipped out of the tent.


	4. Misunderstanding

Dead. Gone. Extinguished.

The unspeakable had happened.

Aeris lay in Cloud's shaking arms, her pink dress marred by a bloom of blood over her still breast. The party stood around him, numb with shock and grief. Yuffie had screamed with horror when Cloud, Vincent and Barret had returned, bearing Aeris' body, before falling to her knees, inconsolable. Tifa had attempted to comfort her, but her own tears flowed just as heavily. Around them, Nanaki's howls echoed...

Not caring at that moment what anyone thought, Vincent held Yuffie close as Aeris was laid to rest at the bottom of a crystal-clear lake. Afterwards, Cloud retreated to his tent, murmuring about time alone. Everybody else dispersed at random.

Vincent sat in his own tent, head bowed. Even he was in shock over what had happened. He had been there, watched as Sephiroth's blade slid easily through Aeris' chest as she was praying, dead before she had even tumbled to the floor. Cloud had been so grief-stricken he was barely able to fend off the monstrous form of Jenova that attacked them soon after.

_Is this the end of our journey? Is Cloud strong enough to carry on? The last Cetra, gone...even I shed a tear or two, and I hardly knew the girl. _Vincent pushed his hair out of his eyes and sighed heavily, thinking of how distraught Yuffie had been when she saw Aeris. _She looked close to fainting, so horrified was she. But I could do nothing...we arrived too late...was it our fault she died? No, no...do not think such things. But where is Yuffie now? I worry for her._

Deciding to go find her, Vincent heaved himself out of his tent. She was not by the fire, where the rest of the party, minus Cloud, sat dejectedly, discussing the times they had shared with their departed friend. "Have you tried the lake?" Tifa said, pointing. "I don't think she's moved since..."

True to her word, Yuffie was sat by the lake, staring at the seemingly bottomless depths. She did not look up when Vincent made his appearance known by sitting beside her. Tears still rolled down her white cheeks.

Vincent gave her a few minutes before he spoke. "Yuffie..." he said softly. "Come back to the camp. You will catch a chill, sat out here."

"I don't care," she mumbled.

"You can pay your respects in the morning. Come back with me."

"Pay my respects in the morning?" Yuffie balled her hands into fists, punching the floor. "She was my _friend, _Vince! And that bastard took her away from me! Who the hell have you ever had ripped away from you like that, hey? Don't look at me like that!" She was shouting now. "Just because you don't give a shit about what happens to anyone, you damn emotionless vampire, doesn't mean _I'm _not allowed to grieve for the woman that was like a mother to me in the short space of time I knew her! So excuse me for not wanting to leave her side!"

"Yuffie-"

"Pay my respects? I will pay my damn respects to her, morning noon and night if I want to, because she was important to us, and to the Planet, and Sephiroth murdered her! I have more than respect for Aeris, and _you..._you will never understand that..."

She dissolved into sobs. Vincent found himself reaching out to her, and though she feebly tried to push him off, she ended up curled in his lap, crying hysterically into his shoulder. "Maybe I won't ever fully understand what it is like to love and respect somebody in the way you did," he murmured, "but I have had my share of people being ripped away from me..."

"You...you have?" Yuffie whispered. Vincent did not reply, but stood up with Yuffie in his arms, and carried her back to the camp. The party gave him curious glances as he walked past, to which he replied that Yuffie was very tired and wished for some company. He deposited her inside the tent and made her comfortable, wrapping her up in his sleeping bag. Only then did he reply to her question.

"Thirty years ago, I worked for Shinra. I was a Turk. I was assigned to assist and protect a Shinra scientist working on the Jenova Project; Lucrecia, the mother of Sephiroth. When he was a mere babe in her womb, Hojo injected him with Jenova cells, and this affected Lucrecia badly. She began to collapse in constant agony..." Vincent's face twisted as he remembered the gruesome details. Yuffie watched him rapturously. "I loved her...Lucrecia was my whole world back then," he carried on. "Yet she shunned me, for reasons I still do not know, though it began after my father, Grimoire, died. She was very close to him. She married Hojo and became further distanced from me...though I vaguely remember she was the one who saved my life when Hojo attempted to kill me..."

"Hojo tried to breed Aeris and Red together," Yuffie said quietly. "He retired and went on holiday to the Costa del Sol; we saw him there. He's sick, a madman."

"He has not changed then."

"Carry on."

Vincent shook his head. "I know nothing after that. I remember waking up, and seeing my body twisted, deformed and hideous, and being ashamed, I hid myself away, hoping nobody would ever find me."

"Wow..." Yuffie's eyes were wide. "I didn't know you _could _love. You're always so cold..."

"Yes, I was a human once too."

"You still are. You're just...a little different is all." Yuffie tried to smile, then sighed. "Sorry. I'm not much use to you right now."

"I did not bring you here to be of use to me. I brought you here so that we might comfort each other."

This time, Yuffie managed to smile, and she reached out to cup the gunman's cheek. "That's so sweet...thank you..."

Vincent closed his eyes, feeling the warm touch of his almost-lover's hand and the thumb that stroked his pale skin. "Stay with me tonight," he said softly. Opening his eyes, he found Yuffie frozen in surprise. "Unless you'd rather-" he stammered.

"No," she replied, cutting him off. "I'll stay. I just didn't think you'd say something like that. I think I need the company anyway." Shrugging herself out of the sleeping bag, she set about removing her boots and socks. Noticing Vincent giving her a curious look, she replied, "What? I'm sleepy." Her cheeky side showing through once more, she then knelt up so as to remove her shorts, then slowly peeled off her top, leaving her in nothing but plain black underwear. Vincent's eyes widened until they looked like they might pop out of their sockets, and he mouthed wordlessly for a few moments. Yuffie grinned at him and slipped back into the sleeping bag, then patted the space next to her.

"Yuffie, I...I am not undressing in front of you," he protested weakly.

"Come on, I just did!" The ninja stuck her tongue out. "Or did you not enjoy it?"

"No, I..."

Rolling her eyes, Yuffie sat up and crawled towards Vincent, deft hands quickly unfastening his cloak, letting it pool on the floor. She silenced his protests with a long, deep kiss as she began on his shirt, unbuttoning it swiftly while Vincent's mind was elsewhere, concentrating on her lips. However, she was surprised when he shrugged the shirt off himself, before pushing her onto her back and attacking her neck with bites and kisses, grinding himself into her all the while.

"V-Vincent..." Yuffie gasped, arching into him. The assault moved upwards, back to her lips, and she felt his hands sliding her bra straps down. "Vincent!" she cried out, shoving him off and readjusting herself. "Too far!"

The gunman looked nonplussed. "In my defence, you were the one to strip us both off. You started it, so forgive me if I got the wrong impression."

"I swear to Leviathan you were trying to have _sex _with me!"

"I..._you _are the one who proclaimed the lessons could be taken further!"

"Yes, but not while I'm grieving!" Sighing, Yuffie got into the sleeping bag. "I wanted you to relax. Now just get in here with me and sleep, alright?"

_What is wrong with this girl? She wants one thing, then another...I suppose I just have to learn to live with it. _Frowning at her behaviour, Vincent removed his boots, then slid in beside Yuffie. She smiled, shifting around so she had moulded her back to his chest. "Night night," she yawned.

"...Goodnight, Yuffie," murmured Vincent, draping an arm over the ninja's waist.


	5. Teeth, Lips and Tongue

"Damn it!"

"What's the matter?"

"My Materia...it's gone!" Cloud frantically checked his pouch. The rest of the party searched themselves, and found their own Materia gone as well.

"Fuck!" Cid cursed, stamping his foot. "What is up with that brat?"

The _Highwind, _the Shinra airship the party had stolen not long ago, had landed on the south side of the Wutai continent to refuel and to allow the party to explore the little-known area. Yuffie had immediately exclaimed that she knew the area well and that it could be dangerous. However, when the party were unexpectedly ambushed by enemies, Yuffie had swiped the entire party's Materia and run off north.

Cloud shook his head in disbelief. "The _Highwind _isn't finished refuelling yet, and there's every chance she could be hiding in a cave somewhere...we'll have to cross on foot."

"You crazy?" Barret growled. "Who knows what the hell is out there? And with no Materia to boot? Damn, Cloud, you're puttin' us all in danger."

"...Cloud is right though." It was Vincent who had spoken. Because of his closeness with Yuffie, he had imagined she might have spared his Materia. A moment later he remembered that they were to keep their relationship a secret, and to leave his Materia might have been treated as suspicious by the party. Nevertheless, he was a little pissed off. "I also know this area, albeit from a long time ago, but the fauna around Wutai never changes. The monsters should be no problem as long as we band together and support each other quickly." He scratched his head, not used to speaking so much at once to someone who wasn't Yuffie. "If I know Yuffie, she will have headed straight for the town. It is a shame we must travel on foot, but it can't be helped."

"Hmmm..." Nanaki, who had been cleaning his face, looked up at Vincent. "How long will it take to traverse these mountains?"

"The bridges serve as pathways that shorten the length of time taken to get there...at an estimate, if we move at a decent pace throughout, we should reach Wutai a few hours before sundown."

"It's barely fucking dawn, Vincent!" ranted Cid. "You're telling us it's gonna take _twelve hours _to get there?"

Vincent regarded the pilot with a cold stare. "Yes."

"In that case, we might as well wait for the _Highwind _to refuel, and land on the other side!"

Tifa shook her head. "Like Cloud said, she might be hiding in a cave. We won't find her using the airship at that rate. And besides...I suppose we could do with the extra training."

"The lass is right," Cait Sith spoke up. "Yuffie knows the area better than any of us. She could hide for hours and we might not know. So, all the better to take a good look around!"

Cid just stared at the robotic cat. Then he sighed heavily. "Takin' advice from a freaking cat robot...alright, let's just get goin'."

* * *

True to his word and directions, Vincent led the party to Wutai in around twelve hours. There was no time to stop and admire the quaint beauty of the town, as Yuffie had to be found quickly. Vincent went to one side of the town with Cloud and Tifa, while Cid took Cait Sith, Nanaki and Barret to the other side.

Vincent watched the way Cloud almost seemed to cling to Tifa, not physically, but emotionally, as they walked together. It had not been long since Aeris' death, and the gunman was unsure if he disapproved or not. _Who am I to speak of tarnishing memories...but is it right to flit from one woman to another? Strictly speaking, there was no relationship involved, but the love was there, I'm sure._

"You alright, Vincent?" Tifa called; she and Cloud were a good few feet ahead. Vincent did not respond, deep in thought, so Tifa drew back, telling Cloud to search ahead. Under the pretence of checking an alleyway, Tifa asked Vincent, "Is something on your mind?"

"How do you mean, Tifa?"

"Well, I know you and Yuffie are quite friendly. I imagine you're a little worried about her."

"Worried, and annoyed, and a whole host of other things."

Tifa laughed. "Poor you. Mind, she gets on our cases a lot too."

The two were silent for a few minutes, continuing their search for the elusive ninja. After finding her once in the item shop (and she ran off immediately afterwards), Tifa turned back to Vincent. "This might seem a bit of a weird question, but...how do you feel about Yuffie?"

"Right now, or in general?"

"The latter."

"Well..." Vincent was unsure of how much to reveal to Tifa, the resident agony aunt of the group. Cloud was giving them questioning looks, so Vincent just shrugged. "I am closer to her than anyone else here, and so I suppose I care for her quite a lot."

"Do you love her?"

Vincent's eyes widened a little. "I-I'm sorry?"

"I've...well, I've seen you kiss her once before." Tifa shifted from one foot to another. "Yesterday, in fact. I asked Cid to show me the engine room, and we caught a glimpse of you two down one of the corridors." Vincent's face drained of the little colour it had, and Tifa quickly added, "But Cid won't tell, and neither will I!"

The gunman breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, that's good. I'd rather the others not know, because what Yuffie and I have is not exactly a relationship, it is more...bouts of intimate education, you might say."

"So you sleep together?"

"No! No, of course not. She just...shows me how to kiss, and hold, and...things like that." Vincent could feel his face reddening, and he pulled the collar of his cloak up over his mouth self-consciously.

Tifa giggled. "Oh, stop being so embarrassed! I think it's very sweet. But...have you considered the fact that you may both fall for each other?"

This made Vincent stop dead in his tracks. He had never quite thought about it that way before. But he shook his head. "I do not think that would happen. Yuffie is too young and...immature to know what love is. And I myself am probably unable to experience it ever again."

Tifa rolled her red-brown eyes. "You're too hard on yourself. Come on, let's look for her. Cloud is going to kick our asses if we don't help him look."

* * *

Some time later, Cloud received a call on the PHS. Answering it and turning loudspeaker on, it turned out to be Barret. "Have you found her?" he asked.

"That and more!" Barret replied. "We found the Turks in the bar-"

"What?"

"Nah, it's fine, they're off duty, so they let us go. But Yuffie locked us in a damn cage, and Cait had to let us out. Then we saw Yuffie nabbed by some shady guys!"

"Nabbed?" Tifa cut in. "Someone took her?"

"Yeah, some goons and this fat blonde guy in a red coat!"

Tifa and Cloud both swore simultaneously. "Must be Corneo," Cloud sighed. "Where did they go?"

"Up the mountains- Da-Chao or something-, the ones with the faces on them. They had Elena with them too. We're at the bottom of the trail, we'll wait for you there. Nanaki's gone ahead to scout."

"We won't be long." Cloud put the PHS away and groaned. "Great."

"Corneo?" Vincent asked curiously, as they all set off at a sprint.

"Shinra spy!" Cloud told him, panting slightly. "We had to deal with him in Sector 6. Suppose he's on the run from Shinra now for telling us their plans, why else would he be here?"

"Colossal pervert," Tifa added. "No wonder he ran off with the two youngest girls he found here."

A pang of worry hit Vincent like a bullet to the chest. _I do hope she hasn't been harmed...and if we must fight, we will have to rely on our weapons alone...oh, Yuffie, why do you always make things difficult for us?_

Luckily, Corneo and the girls proved quite easy to find. The pervert had tied them up, hanging precariously close to falling to their deaths, but Reno and Rude, the other two Turks, turned up just in time to help out. Yuffie wasn't helping with the amount of insults she was throwing at Corneo, but Vincent quickly untied her while Cloud and the party battled a flying monster the Don set on them. "Vince..." she breathed, throwing herself into his arms. He held her tight, pressing his face into her hair, but then he pushed her back and scowled at her. "Don't _ever _do that again," he scolded. "It was very irresponsible of you. You might have gotten us all killed."

"I'm sorry..." she whispered.

Vincent sighed. "Let's talk about it later." He looked sideways, where Rude was busy helping out Elena. "And let's move away from this lot. The less we are involved with the Turks the better."

"But _you _were a Turk..."

"Our duties were different then. Come." He took Yuffie's hand and guided her back down the path. The flying monster, Rapps, sank down in a flurry of wings and teeth, dead; Cid had landed the killing blow. Corneo was then taken care of, with Reno sending him tumbling off the edge. "Right, now..." he said, flicking his ponytail over his shoulder. Cloud readied his sword, but Reno shook his head. "Nah, we're still off duty. Next time we see you, probably." He signalled to Rude and Elena, who looked a little shaken up but was unharmed. "Come on guys."

The Turks departed. The minute they were out of sight, the party rounded on Yuffie, who clutched Vincent's arm, suddenly terrified. "What on _earth _were you thinking?" Cloud demanded. "You pulled a very dangerous stunt, Yuffie! And running off on your own too!"

"I'm sorry," she mumbled.

"Sorry ain't fucking good enough!" Cid raged. "You stole what was ours!"

"Everyone," Vincent said quietly, "please, I'm sure she has a reason. Let her explain herself."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Fine. Yuffie?"

Still nestled against Vincent for protection, Yuffie said in a shaky voice, "I just wanted Wutai to be like it was before...after the war, there was no Materia here. I grew up with stories of Materia, and magic, and I always said when I grew up I would find Materia and restore Wutai to its former glory. I...I'm so sorry, guys..." She burst into tears. "I t-tricked you all...I'm just g-going to...to go back home, and...you guys can g-go f-fight Sephiroth without me..."

Cloud's hard expression wavered somewhat, and he bit his lip. "Yuffie, don't cry. Just...just give us back the Materia, and we'll try and forget about this."

Sniffling, Yuffie nodded. "It's in my house...I'll take you there."

* * *

True to her word, it was. Yuffie dutifully gave the party back their Materia, then pointed out an inn to them before disappearing into her bedroom, locking the door. Vincent hesitated, unsure of whether or not he should coax her back out. Tifa hung back, noticing this. "I'll tell everyone you went to comfort her or something," she smiled. "Come to the inn when you're ready."

"Thank you for being so understanding," Vincent replied, with a hint of a smile.

"No problem. See you later." Tifa ran off after the rest of the party.

Only then did Vincent knock gently on Yuffie's door. "Let me in, Yuffie," he called out. "There's nobody else here." She did not reply, but he heard her unlock the door, and he slid it aside to behold a red-eyed Yuffie sitting down on a futon dejectedly. "I'm not here to tell you off," the gunman reassured her. "The rest of the party may be annoyed but I can never stay angry at you for long."

"R-Really?" she asked, eyes widening a little. Vincent made a soft noise of assent and knelt in front of her, taking her hands. "I really am sorry, Vince," she sighed. "Nobody would understand..."

"I do," he told her. "I was in Wutai for a while during the war. I saw much of the goings-on. That is why I had a slight inkling why you were so interested in our Materia. I just never mentioned it for fear you would be frightened and run away like you did today."

Vince...I'm sorry..."

"Stop apologising. Come here..." He pulled the shivering ninja onto his lap, his arms encircling her tiny body. She rested her head on his shoulder, dampening it with her tears, but Vincent paid them no mind and just held her tighter.

"Vince?"

"Yes?"

"I think...I think I'm falling for you." Yuffie felt Vincent stiffen a little, as she knew he would, and had grown used to seeing. "I thought I might be able to just have fun with you, but now I can hardly stand to be away from you...and when we kiss, I feel more than just excitement, like I used to. I just want more and more."

Vincent thought for a moment, letting her words sink in. It was surprising, considering the conversation he had had with Tifa earlier, how he thought Yuffie incapable of loving him. But the way she was looking at him now...he felt like slapping himself for being so blind. "So...you think you love me?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," she replied, dropping her head and twirling a lock of Vincent's hair round her finger.

Vincent slid a hand under her chin, making her look back up at him. "Do you want a relationship with me?"

"Do _you _want a relationship with _me?"_

"...There would likely be complications. The gap between our ages, the fight against Sephiroth, the reaction of the party...but if this is something you still desire...?"

"We can't carry on as we are," Yuffie said. "We're too close to even think about breaking off the deal. Really, either we start properly seeing each other, or I remain here in Wutai. I've done too much."

"That is something for the party to decide. I am sure they will accept you back. And besides..." Vincent drew Yuffie into a gentle kiss, "I will not leave without you."

The ninja gasped. "You mean-?"

"Yes." Vincent smiled, a true smile that only Yuffie ever saw. "But I still want those lessons of yours!"

She laughed, and kissed the gunman on the cheek. "Don't worry, I'm not letting you off so easily!" Getting off his lap, she crossed the room to retrieve her pack, and rummaged inside till she found a notepad. "Hmmm..." she flipped through it for a moment. "Ah, here we go, the list."

Vincent stared at her in disbelief. "You...have been keeping a _list _of all this?"

"Yep, so I know whereabouts we are, what you learnt, and the next stage."

"...You are much stranger than I thought, Yuffie."

She grinned. "Thank you very much. Now..." She consulted the pad with a slight furrow of her brow. "Kissing, check. _Passionate _kissing, check. Getting a boner-"

"_What?"_

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I wrote 'arousal' instead." Yuffie giggled at the look on Vincent's face, and checked the pad again. "So, the next two are 'Hickeys' and 'Fingers, lips and tongue.'"

Vincent just gaped at her. "Give me that," he said flatly, holding out his hand. Yuffie handed it to him, laughing and blushing. He scanned Yuffie's twirly handwriting, and sweat beaded his forehead at some of the 'lessons' Yuffie had scrawled down. "You mean for us to do _all _this?"

"Well, not all of it," she said. "They're just ideas. But they go in order of, well...sexuality, I suppose."

"I don't even know what a hickey _is," _Vincent moaned. Rolling her eyes, Yuffie took the pad from him and tossed it over her shoulder, then plonked herself back on his lap, straddling him this time. "Here," she indicated, running a slim finger down the side of her neck. "It's just another term for a lovebite."

Comprehension dawned on the gunman's face, and he brought his head down to nibble lightly at the base of her neck, starting off slowly. Now they had decided to officially be a couple, he no longer cared if the party saw the marks. Yuffie's hand pushed down on the back of his head, urging him to bite harder, and he did, drawing a shaky inhale of breath from the young ninja. His own breathing speeding up significantly with excitement, Vincent clamped down and sucked the soft flesh, running his tongue over it as he did so. Yuffie cried out loudly, hand clenching in Vincent's long hair. "Mmm...yes, there..." she panted.

Vincent groaned against her skin, feeling himself becoming desperately aroused. Yuffie had teased him so much recently that he could barely take it. He lay her on her back on the futon, and smiled at the mark he had left on her neck. "They will know you as mine now," he whispered.

"Good," she smiled.

"Now, what was the next lesson?"

She smirked at the gunman, pulling him down for a deep kiss. "You know what it is," she whispered suggestively. Vincent groaned again, watching as she removed her top, throwing it aside. Her hands fell to her shorts, but Vincent got there first, sliding them off himself. Like the other times he had seen her in her underwear, he just stared for a while, admiring her slim form. His eyes lingered on her bruised neck, her flat stomach, her shapely legs. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are, Yuffie?"

She giggled, face turning red. "Only you," she replied, watching Vincent unbuckle his cloak.

"I find that hard to believe." The cloak was tossed aside, and the gunman started on his shirt. "What with all you have been teaching me, you _must _have some sexual experience."

"I've had one boyfriend," Yuffie replied, watching hungrily as more and more of Vincent's muscled chest and stomach was exposed, "but it was just a series of fumbles, really, nothing romantic."

Vincent nodded, putting his shirt aside. He made to lie atop Yuffie, but she shook her head. "Hm?" he frowned. She pointed to his leather trousers, an expectant look on her face. He sighed. "Really?"

"Yeah. You've seen me in my underwear, now let me see you in yours!" She sat up before he could respond, her hands swiftly undoing buttons and pulling down the zip. She couldn't get them off, however; they were too tight. "Damn it!" she growled, tugging at the waistband. Rolling his eyes, Vincent removed them himself.

Yuffie gasped, then gave a little splutter of shock. _He...doesn't wear underwear! At all! He's...Vincent Valentine is naked in my room! _"I, um..." she stammered. "I see why you didn't want to remove them...um..."

"I can put them back on if you wish," Vincent said. He seemed to have no qualms about his body, as she had seen his scars before.

"N-No no no! You stay like that! Remember the lesson? It applies to both of us!" She winked. "Lie back, Vince..."

Vincent gasped as he realised what she was going to do. She shifted aside, and patted the futon. "You're sure? Truly?"

"Yes. Now lie down and bloody well enjoy yourself!" Looking a little nervous (very unlike Vincent), he lay down, while Yuffie crossed the room to bolt the door shut again, knowing Vincent's eyes were most definitely focused on her backside. When she turned around, his right hand quickly blurred back to his side. She laughed. "You were touching it, weren't you?"

"Maybe..." he muttered, not meeting her gaze. She bounded back over and knelt beside him. He tensed up, but then her small hand had wrapped round him and he uttered a soft groan. "Relax," she whispered, starting to stroke the warm, firm flesh. Vincent's breath caught in his throat, and he bit his lip, hips jerking up a little. It did feel good, very good...Yuffie's hand worked its way delicately up and down, trailing the tips of her fingers over the head, ghosting down the length and all the way down to lightly brush the sac before travelling back up again to wrap firmly round the length. Vincent found himself panting with pleasure, hand gripping Yuffie's thigh, but she didn't seem to mind; in fact, she did something else altogether. Moving round, she shifted Vincent's legs apart, settled between them, and gave a teasing lick to his length.

Vincent watched her, wide-eyed and feeling lucky beyond belief. _One moment she's kissing me, and the next, she has me in her mouth! How far will this go, I wonder? _

Yuffie would have danced for joy if not for the position she was in, knelt between Vincent's legs with a straining, leaking rod in her mouth. The gunman tried to watch her, but after a few seconds he had to drop his head back, moaning softly through the hand clamped over his mouth. Pleased with this, Yuffie sucked a little harder, wanting to reward Vincent with satisfaction. _It's not a lesson learnt if it doesn't go exactly the way it should! s_he thought. _And that means he has to come. Sounds like he might do soon, actually..._

She was right. As he had never experienced such pleasure before, it didn't take long for Vincent to indicate that he was close to orgasm. The hand that had wandered into the ninja's hair tightened its grip, and his pale hips bucked harder and more frequently. "Yuffie..." he panted, "Yuffie, I'm going to come...d-don't stop..."

Yuffie braced herself for the explosion. Vincent cried out, and the warm white liquid hit her tongue in irregular spurts, but she kept her head bobbing back and forth, stretching out Vincent's climax till he shuddered and spasmed beneath her. Only then did she pull back and swallow, pleased to find there was no hint of an unpleasant taste. She poked Vincent playfully; the gunman seemed incapable of moving, so powerful had his first orgasm with a partner been. "Hey, wakey wakey!"

He opened his eyes and smiled. "Impressive," he murmured. "I was very pleasantly surprised."

"Good." Yuffie snuggled up to his side, resting her head on a bent elbow, waiting for Vincent to recover. He raised a hand to run along the contours of her body, uttering soft noises of appreciation and desire. Yuffie closed her eyes in response to the unnaturally gentle touch, feeling the slightly shaking fingers caress her side, moving downwards to her thighs and round to give her backside a cheeky grope. "Hey!" she laughed. Vincent smirked at her, and rolled over so he was lying on top of the ninja.

"I take it I am allowed to move these now?" he asked, tugging at a bra strap. Yuffie nodded, and he slid the straps down, impressing himself with his lack of nerves. Mind, having just received a mind-numbing blowjob, he was too excited to care about anything else now. Kissing along Yuffie's shoulder, Vincent slid a hand round her back, fumbling with the bane of a man's life that was the clasp. The ninja giggled at Vincent's displeased growl, and reached behind to do it herself. Heaving a sigh of relief, Vincent rid his lover of the offending item of clothing. _Fingers, lips and tongue, _he thought to himself. _Well, here goes._

The fingers went first, brushing lightly over Yuffie's exposed chest, exploring the expanse of soft skin. The ninja closed her eyes and gasped, gripping Vincent's free arm. Next, the lips, sending fluttering kisses up her flat stomach, between her breasts, and a kiss on each hardening nipple. "Oh my god..." Yuffie whispered. She already felt dizzy from breathing quickly, but when Vincent began to use his tongue, she almost fainted. The wet muscle dragged slowly across one nipple, then the other, alternating between slow circles and frantic lapping at the buds of flesh. Yuffie writhed beneath the gunman, crying out in shuddering ecstasy.

_How on earth is one supposed to focus on this task without succumbing to other base desires? _Vincent thought, in the process of giving Yuffie's left breast a lovebite while sliding a hand down her body, to meet with radiating warmth between her legs. _I'm doing this, and my God, I'm enjoying it, but I have no idea how long I can carry on without taking her right here and now... _He leaned up and kissed Yuffie passionately, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. _She is so beautiful..._

Gasping for air, Yuffie pulled away. "H-Here," she panted, directing Vincent's hand to her more sensitive area. He rubbed tentatively, and the ninja cried out softly. "Yes, just there...oh my god..."

Vincent pushed aside her underwear, and felt around gently for her opening. Locating it quickly, he pushed a finger inside, then another, hoping it would not pain the young ninja. Thankfully, she took it well, only wincing a little. "Does that feel fine?" Vincent asked, sounding a little worried.

Yuffie nodded and smiled. "You're learning fast."

"What now?" The gunman tried an experimental curl of the fingers, and Yuffie bit her lip, hissing uncomfortably. "Damn...sorry."

"Oooh...ouch. It's okay, I'm fine." Yuffie giggled. "You can do that, but push in further before you do it. Just...keep moving them in and out. The _real _test is if you can do it while using your mouth as well."

"My mouth? Where?" She pointed, and Vincent's eyes widened. "I see. In that case..." He withdrew his fingers so as to completely remove the last article of clothing from his young lover. Leaning down, he pulled Yuffie into his lap so he could kiss her, letting his aching arousal press against her, telling her how much he felt like he was being teased. She seemed to get the message, and rocked her hips to further inflame his passion. With a growl, Vincent tipped Yuffie straight onto her back again and spread her legs apart. He loved how wet she felt as he slipped two fingers back into her, how she softly moaned his name.

_Lips and tongue, _he thought, settling down into a comfortable position. Yuffie pulled her legs up a little to allow Vincent better access, uttering a cry when her lover gave her a teasing lick, tasting her. _Hmmm...this I like. This I want more of. _

And with that, Vincent launched an all-out assault. Yuffie screamed with pleasure at the frantically pounding fingers, the dancing tongue. Vincent was indeed a fast learner, and he was loving every second of it. He pushed a third finger in, and turned his head to the side, biting Yuffie's thigh several times before returning to licking.

Yuffie shuddered, arching her back and fisting her hands in Vincent's hair. Gasping out his name, she hurtled over the edge, pleasure exploding from Vincent's ministrations and making her writhe in the throes of her orgasm.

Slowly, Vincent straightened up, removing his fingers, gazing down at the panting ninja beneath him. She looked up at him with satisfied grey eyes, a tired smile curving her lips. "Hello there," Vincent chuckled, raising his wet fingers to his mouth.

"Gross." Yuffie rolled her eyes as Vincent licked the fingers clean. He just chuckled again, and motioned for her to get inside the futon she lay on. Obeying, she took Vincent's hand, tugging him in with her. "I enjoyed that," she murmured, letting Vincent hold her to his chest. She stroked it tenderly, tracing the scars that marked him.

"I did too." Vincent stroked Yuffie's hair.

"You did well."

"As did you."

Yuffie giggled softly, now a little sleepy. "Mmm...I'll tick those off in the morning..."

"So, what is next?"

The ninja winked. "What do you think, Vince?"


	6. Evacuation

The party stood aboard the deck of the _Highwind, _bearing sombre expressions. The time had come to descend into the Northern Cave, to find Sephiroth and defeat him once and for all. Meteor loomed in the distance, dominating much of the horizon, casting an eerie red glow into the sky.

They were currently listening to a crackling transmission coming from the robotic cat, Cait Sith, who had turned out to be a Shinra spy. Revealed to be acting through Reeve Tuesti, head of Midgar's Urban Development, Cait Sith (or rather, Reeve) now let the party listen in on Shinra's important meetings, thus learning their plans.

Cait Sith stopped the transmission after a few minutes. "Reeve's evacuating the people of the slums onto the plate. Meteor's gonna hit Midgar like a million tons of bricks; they need to be as safe as possible."

"Hmmm..." Cid puffed on his ever-existent cigarette. "It might be dangerous to have us all goin' in the cave. Why don't a few of us stay behind and help out in Midgar? Might look good for us, ya know!"

"It's not a bad idea, admittedly," Cloud agreed, nodding. "However, is anyone prepared to stay behind? It could be just as dangerous as coming with us, if not more."

Vincent looked sideways at Yuffie, who stood with her arms folded, her pretty face betraying no fear. She had become much braver and stronger with their travels, even maturing a little and leaving most of the party's Materia alone. Of course, she always left Vincent's.

"I got shit to settle!" Barret said. "I'm goin' with Cloud."

"Me too," Tifa said. "Midgar holds nothing for me now."

"I would be no use in the evacuations," Nanaki murmured.

Vincent sighed, and took Yuffie into his arms. "We'll go, Yuffie and I," he told the party, kissing his girlfriend's brow.

She gazed at him, wide-eyed. "Are you sure, Vince? Really sure?"

He nodded. "I cannot bring myself to harm the son of Lucrecia, however much damage and pain he has brought to many. Forgive my cowardly actions, all of you..."

To his surprise, they all seemed to understand. Cid laughed, stubbing out his cigarette. "In that case, we'll give him an extra ass-kicking, courtesy of the lovebirds!"

"Hit him hard for me!" Yuffie grinned. She hugged Vincent round the middle, nuzzling him affectionately. "I'd be no use down there anyway," she told him. "I might as well go with you. If we die together, at least we won't be alone."

"We will not die," Vincent murmured. "I will protect you, little rose. I promise."

The party watched the loving scene before them. Tifa smiled, going a little misty-eyed. "It shouldn't be cute, but it is, don't you think?" she whispered, nudging Cloud.

"To be honest, I never see them show any affection towards each other that much. It's only when they're alone," Cloud replied. "Of all the people to put together though..."

"I heard that!" Yuffie and Vincent snapped.

* * *

Despite all her apparent bravery, Yuffie still shed tears when the party bid their farewells, and she had to be calmed down by Vincent for fear she would enter a hysterical stage. "We might never see them again!" she wailed into Vincent's chest.

"Hush, little rose," he said softly. "You underestimate them."

"Vince..."

"Hush...you must be strong, for all our sakes. Even mine."

Yuffie looked up at the gunman with brimming eyes and wet cheeks. "But you _never _get scared..."

"Sometimes it is our fear that drives us. Even I have times when I become frightened."

"Are you frightened now?"

"A little. And it will push me to help these people. Now come. We must hurry. Meteor may descend very soon." Releasing Yuffie, they headed off to where they could hear orders being shouted. Yuffie clung to his hand nervously.

Shinra soldiers were busy moving citizens from one area to the other, and so many conversations flew back and forth that it took Vincent some time to rouse the attention of one officer. "Something wrong?" the officer asked.

"Where can I find Reeve?" Vincent asked. "We've come to assist in the evacuations."

"Oh! Reeve's that way. See him, with the black goatee?" He pointed to his left. "That's him there."

"Thank you." Vincent took Yuffie's hand again and headed over to where Reeve Tuesti was conversing with another officer. He stood tall, and looked respectable in his blue suit (admittedly, it was now a little scuffed from the efforts of evacuation). _For a Shinra crony, he seems a good man, _Vincent thought, striding over and waiting for him to finish his conversation.

A few minutes went by. Then Reeve turned and saw the gunman and ninja, looking very out of place with their surroundings. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"You're Reeve Tuesti?"

"I am."

"We're from AVALANCHE. Cloud wishes us to assist in the evacuation efforts."

"And where is Cloud now?"

"Flying towards the Northern Cave, making his way towards Sephiroth. We were the only two to stay behind." Vincent squeezed Yuffie's hand. "You desire proof of who we are?"

"No, no." Reeve shook his head. "I do believe I've heard your voice on transmissions from Cait Sith before. I would be grateful if I knew your names, however."

"Vincent Valentine, formerly of the Turks. This is Yuffie Kisaragi, princess of Wutai."

"Hi, nice to meet you," Yuffie smiled.

"The very same to the both of you," Reeve replied, inclining his head. "We're grateful that you've come to help us. The situation is dire at present; many are too frightened to move, and others are too proud to leave their homes and move somewhere safe. The WEAPON's attack on Shinra Headquarters cost us a good many men, and the President himself is feared dead; the upper floors were decimated. To top it off, Hojo's foolishness with the Mako cannon caused millions of gil's worth of damage to the surrounding areas. More volunteers were desperately needed. I thank you for offering to remain behind."

"Where do we start?"

"Speak to the general over there." Reeve indicated. "He'll provide you with any necessities such as walkie-talkies, armour and the like, if you need it. There are maps to show where to move evacuees to. Again, speaking for all of Midgar, thank you for helping us. We do not deserve the assistance, least of all from AVALANCHE, but-"

"Enough," Vincent said, holding up a hand (Yuffie stared at him, open mouthed at his apparent rudeness). "Forgive me, but we must get to work. And I'm sure you yourself have other things to do."

Reeve looked a little flustered at this. "I...yes. Yes, you're right. Very well. I wish you good luck."

* * *

Yuffie was put in charge of monitoring the flow of evacuees from Sector 1, and also oversaw the removal and treatment of the injured from WEAPON's attack. Given a handheld computer scanner that allowed her to pick up traces of life, she ran back and forth, inspecting every nook and cranny.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Plate, Vincent stared up at the Mako cannon coldly. Something about it was not right; he was sure there was someone still up there, and not for a good reason.

Suddenly, Yuffie's voice crackled through a walkie-talkie. "We're clear over here, Vince. How about you?"

"Finished," Vincent murmured. "But I need you to check the Mako cannon."

"Huh? We already..." Yuffie held her scanner up to the cannon, and made a startled noise as faint measures of life were detected.

Vincent heard her squeak through the walkie-talkie. "Hmmm. As I thought. Yuffie?"

"Yeah?"

"Meteor is starting to fall. Rendezvous with Cloud and the others when they return. I have unfinished business to attend to."

"Huh?" Yuffie, confused, began to speak again, but the walkie-talkie cut off. "Damn, Vince!" she cursed, then yelled towards the cannon. "What are you doing? Get _out _of there! I have a bad feeling about this!" Looking around frantically, she signalled to a nearby officer, who came hurrying over. "Vincent's in danger!" she told him. "I have to go get him!"

"Where is he?"

"Up there! He's going up to the top of the cannon!"

The officer frowned. "We've got a hovercycle spare, but it could be risky if you don't know how to use it."

"I don't care. I have to go get Vincent-"

A steel beam fell to the floor inches away from Yuffie, who squealed and jumped in surprise. Meteor had begun to fall, as Vincent said. Midgar was slowly starting to break apart. "Damn!" she cursed. "Quick, I have to get that hovercycle!"

"Over here." The officer showed her the contraption; Yuffie's stomach twisted as she realised it would make her sick. _But I have to rescue Vince. What the hell does he think he's doing? _

She tossed back her head, dismissing her fears. "Show me how to use it."

Ten minutes later Yuffie was zooming through the air towards the Mako cannon, yelling for her boyfriend over the rush of air around her. Midgar's dusky glow was slowly being replaced by a bloody red hue from the ever-descending Meteor; while this wasn't exactly a good thing, it meant that she could pick out Vincent easier. She spotted him racing up the stairs of the cannon, cloak billowing and hair whipping about his icy pale face. "Vincent!" she shouted, but she was too far away for him to hear her. Trying again, she cut herself off with a groan, feeling her stomach turning to jelly. _Ugh, not good. Must...not...blow... chunks...ugh..._

Breathing heavily to stop herself from retching, she watched Vincent stop suddenly, staring at something she could not currently see. He slowly drew his gun, preparing to fire.

Yuffie's stomach constricted again, but not from sickness. She could see now; it was Hojo, slumped at the computer panels. _But...didn't we kill him? It was his life I detected, but...so confused- oh, crap! Vince!_

Lightning struck the cannon supports, throwing Vincent onto his side with a harsh jolt. "Vincent!" Yuffie screamed, now within earshot of the gunman, who looked up in slight surprise. She saw his mouth form her name, and she reached out her hand as the hovercycle drew closer. The floor beneath Vincent began to slide out, wobbling ominously; Yuffie heard Vincent utter a curse as he scrambled to his feet. "Hey!" Yuffie yelled, and Vincent grabbed her hand, swinging himself onto the back of the cycle as the floor gave way completely.

Yuffie dropped her head to the controls, feeling a retch threatening to twist her stomach. Taking deep gulps of air, she forced herself to look where she was going, aiming for the ground as Vincent wound an arm round her waist, holding her protectively.

They reached the ground safely, and Vincent helped Yuffie dismount. The minute her feet were on a steady surface, she launched herself at him, pummelling his chest with frustrated fists. "What the hell were you doing?" she yelled. "You could have been _killed! _And telling me to run off and save my own ass when all I could do was save yours! Why aren't you thanking me? Well? Answer me, dammit!"

"Yuffie-!" Vincent held his raging girlfriend at arm's length. "Please let me speak. I only desired to check the cannon one more time. I did not mean to put myself in danger. The only reason I asked you to meet with the others was because I was concerned for your own safety; I could have made it back safely had the lightning not struck."

"Well, it did! And it could have killed you! Then what would I have done, huh? Left little old me alone..." Shaking, Yuffie allowed Vincent to pull her into his arms, holding her securely to his chest. "Don't _ever _scare me like that again, Vince..." she whimpered, clutching the folds of his cloak, which he wrapped around her as a makeshift blanket, closing the distance between their bodies further. "You have my word, little rose," he replied softly. Tilting her head up, he drew her into a gentle kiss.

She smiled at him, her anger forgotten. "I love it when you call me that," she said.

"That is why I say it."

"Good. You can carry on saying it." She shifted a hand up to rest it on his shoulder; at this he winced, inhaling sharply. She jumped back. "Oh god! Are you hurt?"

"A little," Vincent muttered through gritted teeth. "I was hit by a beam atop the cannon when the lightning struck. I think I may be burned as well as bruised."

"We'll get you to a medic, come on-"

"No, leave it. I can manage a few hours as long as you don't touch it. Come. We still have work to do. Then I shall be attended to."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure, little rose." Managing a small smile, he gestured with his good arm. Together they set off back towards the evacuation site.

* * *

Luckily, all the willing citizens had been evacuated by the time Meteor began to really tear apart at Midgar. Storms of scarlet wind ripped through the steel city as though it were paper, lifting debris and throwing it about haphazardly.

Yuffie and Vincent watched from the outskirts, the ninja clinging to her older lover worriedly. Crashes and bangs thudded dully around them. "Vince, I'm scared..." she whispered, burying her face in his chest.

"I know..." he replied, holding her tighter as she began to shiver.

"What if the others don't make it back?"

"They will. I promise." It had been a full day since Yuffie and Vincent had returned to Midgar. They had heard nothing from the rest of the party, via Cait Sith nor the PHS. Even Vincent had occasional thoughts that their efforts might have been in vain. _But we must stay strong. Ouch...speaking of..._

He moved his shoulder gingerly. It had still not been healed due to their being so busy. Yuffie noticed and pulled a sympathetic face. "Oh..we forgot about your shoulder," she murmured, rummaging for her Restore Materia. Vincent attempted to protest, but she silenced him with a kiss. "I need to look at it," she said. "Take the cloak and shirt off." When he opened his mouth she scowled. _"Now."_

Defeated, Vincent did so. Yuffie sucked in her breath at the sight of the wound. Parts of the flesh were burnt almost black from the searing heat of the metal that had been struck by lightning and fell on Vincent. The rest looked raw and shiny, and oozed clear liquid. The skin around the wound was mottled with deep purple and yellow bruising. "That looks really nasty," she groaned. Vincent turned his head to look at it, blinking in surprise at the severity of the injury. She touched it, and the gunman uttered a soft moan of pain. "It's gonna hurt, Vince. Just hang on tight." Clutching her Materia tight in one hand, Yuffie placed the other over the wound. Vincent hissed a stream of increasingly filthy curses and swear words, chest rising and falling quickly as he struggled with himself, trying not to throw Yuffie off him, such was the pain as she gripped his arm. However, he knew it was essential for his healing, and forced himself to bear it. The strange sensation of his flesh knitting back together made him twitch a little, but the pain was rapidly disappearing, replaced by only a slight ache when Yuffie had finished.

Vincent moved his shoulder back and forth, pleased to find he could do so. "Thank you," he smiled at Yuffie, kissing her.

"Hey, it needed doing. Now let's get the freaking hell outta here! The _Highwind'll _never find us here, we have to get out of Midgar!"

_I feel bad for leaving these poor people behind, _Vincent thought as they made hurriedly for the city exit, _but if Cloud has been successful, all should be fine. Lucrecia...I am sorry for your son. You did not deserve such pain._

He and Yuffie watched from a good distance, atop a hill overlooking Kalm, which was safely out of the way of Meteor.

Then Holy burst out of the ground, and they knew Cloud and the party had done it. Sephiroth was dead. The worst of the worst was over.


	7. Last Lesson

In the week that followed, the news had begun to spread about 'the heroes that saved the Planet.' Hands were shaken countless times, children gazed wide-eyed everywhere the party went, and a few (mainly Cloud) even received marriage proposals.

No wonder they all retreated to the Costa del Sol for a well-deserved break. Despite this, the same gossip circulated; that Sephiroth was gone for good, that the Lifestream teamed up with Holy to destroy Meteor, but at a price. Midgar had been completely decimated, a shell of the city it once was.

_Gone but not forgotten, _Vincent thought, staring out at the blood red sunset from his hotel room balcony. _Aeris...the Lifestream...was it you...?_

He sighed softly and leaned on the balcony railings. The warm weather, even in the evening, had forced the gunman out of his usual attire and into comfortable black trousers, his unruly hair free of its bandana and held back in a loose ponytail. He wore no shirt, and found the evening breeze to be very pleasant against his bare skin.

The sound of a door closing made him look over his shoulder. Yuffie smiled at him as she emerged from the en suite bathroom, where she had been taking a cool shower. She had gained a light tan from all her sunbathing, which suited her quite well (her nose was a little burnt though). Wearing just a towel, and with her hair hanging damp, she approached Vincent and slid her arms around him from behind, caressing his chest. "Whatchya thinking about?" she asked.

"...Nothing much," he replied quietly. "Just looking back on everything."

Yuffie laughed lightly. "Glad you came with us?"

"I would never have met you otherwise," he smiled, turning round and leaning his back against the railings as he pulled Yuffie towards him, kissing her softly. "And dare I say, you look lovely, little rose."

She blushed furiously. "Seriously? Come on Vince! I'm naked under this thing!" Seeing his red eyes widen, she laughed. "Don't tell me you didn't know?"

"O-Of course, I just..."

"Mmm, yeah right. Come on." Yuffie grabbed Vincent's hand and pulled him back inside the hotel room, then shut the balcony doors and drew the curtains over them.

Then she dropped her towel.

"Y-Yuffie..." Vincent stammered, suddenly very tight in the lower regions. Yuffie just grinned playfully, and with a single move had dropped her boyfriend's trousers to the floor, pooling at his ankles. Then she shoved him onto the double bed with the silky sheets that she had squealed about so much when they first saw the room (and then proceeded to bounce on them for ten minutes while crowing about the softness and the amazingness and oh my god Vince can I live here).

Vincent kissed Yuffie passionately but gently, running his hands all over her smooth body, mapping the delicate flesh. She pressed herself against him, breasts in full contact with his muscled chest as his kisses left her mouth and trailed down to her neck, leaving wet paths from his tongue and nibbles from his teeth. "Oh, there..." Yuffie moaned, as Vincent found the spot on her neck she loved having played with, and sank his teeth into it. The vast amount of private time the couple had spent together had allowed them to become very in tune with each other's bodies (in other words, they hardly left their hotel room!), and had learnt much more about each other.

Vincent pulled his mouth off and smirked. "Another to the collection," he murmured. It was true; Yuffie's neck, chest and thighs all had at least two lovebites each.

She giggled, feeling her newest bruise. "Awesome," she said, then leaned down and kissed Vincent gently, running her hands through his hair lovingly, breaking it free of its ponytail. He closed his eyes, chest rumbling in a deep, appreciative purr. The delicate hands slid downwards, over his chest, down his stomach, till one met with his growing arousal, wrapping slim fingers round it. Vincent smiled, eyes sliding closed in enjoyable pleasure. "Mmm..."

"You like that?"

"Yes..." Vincent sighed happily. "You know just where to touch..." He bucked his hips slightly to meet with Yuffie's tantalising stroking. "There...yes..."

But it wasn't enough. He needed more, and so did she. Yuffie pulled her hand away, and shifted up the bed to rearrange the many pillows. Then she settled back against them, beckoning for Vincent to join her. "Over here, gorgeous," she cooed, twitching her finger.

"Gladly," he smiled, sliding up the bed with her. Spreading her legs apart, he crawled in between them, kissing and licking at her breasts eagerly. "They've grown," he said in a muffled voice.

Yuffie laughed. "Because you never leave them alone, Vince!"

"I don't plan on leaving them alone." He went back to work, rubbing one nipple while licking at the other. Yuffie moaned softly, hands fisting tightly in his long raven locks.

"Oh, god, I want you," she cried.

He looked up with amused, yet aroused red eyes. "I want you too, Yuffie," he murmured. "I have never wanted anything as much as I want this."

"Go on," she urged, grabbing his hips. "Please..."

"Will I hurt you?"

"I...I don't know."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought you knew what you were doing."

Yuffie squirmed, looking uncomfortable. "I've done everything...except this...I didn't want to ruin my dad's reputation, so I just messed around a bit, but I never actually...went all the way..." She attempted a smile. "I wanted to save myself for someone special."

Vincent felt as though he had been winded. "I'm...special?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, Vince." Yuffie reached up to stroke his cheek. "I...I love you."

"Oh, Yuffie..." Abandoning his usual restraint, Vincent swept her into a tight embrace, crushing her to his chest. "Yuffie, my little rose...I love you too."

The ninja snuggled against Vincent happily. Then her eyes widened. "Oh...Vince? I think...you're..."

"Hm? Oh!" Letting go of Yuffie a little and looking down, he realised how closely they were pressed together, very nearly joined. Locking eyes with Yuffie, she nodded. The gunman took a deep breath, feeling his heart pounding. "Okay. Here goes..." Ever so slowly, he pushed. Yuffie uttered a shuddering cry, winding her arms round Vincent's neck and pressing down.

"Oh my god..."

Breathing deeply, face buried in Yuffie's neck, Vincent asked, "Does it hurt?"

"A little, but I can bear it." She wiggled her hips a little, testing their positions. "Yeah, this works."

Vincent kissed Yuffie on the nose. "Ready, little rose?"

"Go on," she said breathlessly.

_I will not mess this up. I will _not _mess this up. _Vincent took another deep breath, and withdrew a little, keeping an eye on Yuffie's expression at all times. She gazed back at him, face impassive, till he slid back in and she arched her back, moaning softly. His breathing ragged, Vincent pressed his brow to Yuffie's, hands bunching in the sheets either side of her as his gentle movements began, creating a steady rhythm.

Never did he imagine that making love could feel so truly wonderful. Yuffie was the perfect lover, moulding to his body, knowing it inside and out, and the way she was moaning with pleasure, legs locked around the gunman's lower back, indicated that he was at least doing a half-decent job. He found himself moaning also, but tried to muffle it by kissing Yuffie. The rest of the party were nowhere near their room, but a touch of nerves remained.

Yuffie pulled out of the kiss, and gasped through her haze of pleasure, "Sit back." Frowning, Vincent slid an arm round Yuffie's back, and dragged her up with him, so she was sitting in his lap, legs still locked around him. She grinned. "I just want us to experiment a little."

"It feels good already," Vincent assured her. This time, Yuffie took a little control, winding her arms round his neck and moving her legs either side. She began to rock her hips, creating unbelievable friction while keeping her movements fluid. Vincent groaned his lover's name and thrust upwards to meet with the ninja, causing her to bounce up and down a little.

The rubbing, the excitement, the feel of Vincent against her...Yuffie came completely undone. Biting down on Vincent's shoulder, she cried out loudly as an explosive climax ripped through her entire body, leaving her shaking. She clung to her lover, whimpering as he continued to thrust into her. The tight spasms of her wet walls proved to be Vincent's undoing, and he released inside her with a series of groans.

Smiling contentedly, Yuffie lay her head on Vincent's well-bitten shoulder. He wound his arms round her, holding her still trembling body close. "That was wonderful," she whispered.

"It was indeed," agreed Vincent. They fell silent, holding each other for a few minutes, till Vincent gently pulled out and lay Yuffie back on the bed, settling down beside her. Resting his raven head on Yuffie's chest, he sighed. "So much has happened..."

"But was it worth it?"

The gunman looked up with love and warmth glittering in his red eyes. "Every moment has been worth it to be with someone as perfect as you," he said softly. Yuffie squealed happily, and kissed her lover with gentle passion. Their exertions, needless to say, had taken it out of them, and they snuggled down for a much-needed rest.

* * *

_Well, I haven't really been here a lot. I have a habit of writing stuff and then forgetting about it, truth is I have (at the moment!) 50+ stories on this little thing, and only half or so are uploaded. I still haven't completed the sequel to One Thing Leads To Another (which is getting rewritten) either. Sorry! This one has a sequel too, but that's mostly completed, methinks. Peace out. x x Tia x x_


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